Northfleet School for Girls wins Renewable Project of the Year at BusinessGreen Leaders Awards

Salix is delighted to announce that Northfleet School for Girls was announced the winners of the Renewable Project of the Year category at the BusinessGreen Leaders Awards 2020 last Thursday (16th October) for their inspiring solar installation and LED lighting upgrade.

With the support of Kent County Council, the school in Gravesend made history by implementing one of the largest school solar installations in the country.

Northfleet School for Girls installed 681 solar panels funded by a £129,000 of interest-free finance from Salix. The panels were installed quickly and effectively over the summer holidays, providing an overall percentage of 30% of total site power and 8% more electricity exported to the grid rather than consumed on-site. The school will benefit from substantial carbon savings of over 54 tonnes per year and financial savings of £16,000 per year and £381,000 over the lifetime of the project.

Additionally, a further £17,000 was used to fund the school’s LED lighting upgrades, saving an additional £4,000 per year and £107,000 over the lifetime of the technology.

Both projects were delivered by the school's internal Facilities Manager, Andy Jarett, who enlisted the help of the school’s environment team; a group of sustainability-conscious students with a passion for all things green.

Andy involved the team throughout the procurement process and during the final presentation to the school governors, in addition to providing a live stream feed of the data on a TV in the school corridor for students and staff to see, first-hand, the savings being achieved.

Andy said, “The project was a no-brainer. There is a significant cost of doing nothing. If we hadn’t installed the technologies, the school’s bills would have risen to £120,000 per year.”

Sinead Desmond, Programme Manager for the School’s Programme at Salix, said: “We’re delighted with Northfleet School for Girls’ achievement and are proud to have been able to support their carbon reduction plans. The school has shown just what can be achieved and we hope that others take inspiration for their own energy efficiency projects.” 

Salix continues to work strategically with schools to drive down their energy bills through a holistic approach, making them the most efficient they can be.

To talk to the dedicated team at Salix to find out how they can help your school, please contact [email protected]